Syria restarts major phosphate plant in Homs after 10-year shutdown

ISTANBUL

Syria resumed operations at a phosphate plant in the central Homs province for the first time in ten years, local media reported on Tuesday.

Addressing an official ceremony, Energy Minister Mohammed Al-Bashir said the rehabilitation of the facility in the Sharqiya mines in Homs marks a significant step toward strengthening Syria’s presence in the global phosphate market and supporting the country’s national economy.

He stressed the importance of bringing the phosphate plant in Sharqiya mines back online to revitalize Syria’s energy and mineral resources sector.

Phosphate mining is one of Syria’s most important mineral sectors, and the rehabilitation of the plant in the Sharqiya mines comes as part of the government’s strategy to revive damaged production facilities and reinforce infrastructure in this critical field.

Fadi Harmoush, head of the factories division at the Sharqiya Mines Phosphate Directorate, said the plant has already begun production after completing full rehabilitation, with an annual capacity of 1.2 million tons.

The plant is “one of the most significant phosphate production facilities in the region and the Middle East, and a strong pillar of the national economy,” he added.

During the years of the uprising against the former Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad (2011–2024), most vital sectors in the country came to a near standstill, with industry, agriculture, energy, and essential services suffering extensive damage.